Confidence
by LeadAntagonist
Summary: A little confidence goes a long way when it comes to dating. Believe me its true. The internet said so.


If my Aunt had balls she'd be my uncle. Or, she'd be my aunt still. Just with balls.

Collabo between myself and the one and only KitsuneMask

* * *

Confidence, Lena needed to have confidence. Women dug confidence! That's what the internet the internet had told her!

But...

"What do they know!" Lena spoke aloud in her tinny accented voice. The 'they' in question were the writers of this online guide to picking up girls, or _chicks_ as they had put it.

She hadn't looked it up on her own, honest! It was just an ad that'd popped up on her social media feed. She'd been foolish enough to click it, or perhaps desperate was the more appropriate adjective.

She let out a loud groan that echoed off the muted, puddle filled streets of King's Row, taking a hand from her jacket to scratch at the back of her neck. There were a lot of adjectives she'd like to use for herself right now. Pathetic might be a good one. Honestly! Who looked up online pickup guides! … err … who _clicked_ ads to online pick up guides... Yea, that was it.

Lena returned her hand to her pocket sniffing quietly, as she kept walking recalling some of the comments she'd read at the bottom of the page.

Her personal favorite being: _'Anyone actually taking this shit serious is asking to get cucked'_

Cucked, she had to look that one up. Definitely wasn't something she wanted, but the comment implied that the guide would get someone as far as actually getting a wife.

Her walking paused and she stepped further to the side away from the street stepping under the awning of a bar, a vehicle was approaching a bit faster than advised and there was a rather large puddle near the curb, the last thing she wanted was to get soaked.

She watched as it came and went, barely kicking up any water as it passed. She didn't begin walking again immediately. Occupied by her own thoughts, thinking about why she had come out of her home at this hour, to walk the rain covered streets. She was looking for confidence, she wanted to feel like she was attractive enough and capable enough to walk up to someone and start a conversation, or flirt, or just _something!_ And…she wanted it to not hurt if she got turned down.

She turned to the large tinted window of the bar she had taken cover near, looking at her own reflection. "Don't be afraid of rejection." She said softly to herself. Its what everyone always said no matter where she looked. They made it sound so simple, as if being rejected by someone you find attractive enough to approach isn't at all soul crushing. Especially when you were trying your hardest.

Lena looked at her reflection long and hard for a moment longer before forcing herself to smile. "Fuck it!" she announced, an impromptu pep talk coming right up. "You look good Lena, dressed to kill, and most importantly you _feel_ good!"

She wasn't completely lying to herself, she was dressed to kill.

Rocking shades, that she was currently taking off of her forehead and putting into her pocket because she was nowhere near cool enough to do them justice. Her lucky brown aviator jacket with the fur lining that always made her feel somewhat en vogue. She wore it open her under shirt… was a grey graphic tee, on its chest was a inked picture of Winston's face. Winston was the talking Gorilla at the city zoo, Lena had gotten to see him up close once, and she swore they made a connection so she bought the shirt. Maybe not the shirt you wear to pick up chicks but come on he was wearing glasses in the inked picture! How can you not like a talking gorilla wearing glasses! Whatever, anyone who has a problem with Winston can go spoon a lathe. Her outfit was wrapped up by a simple pair of jeans. In retrospect maybe, it wasn't the most inspired choice of outfit but that didn't seem to matter so much. Her little pep talk seemed to be working.

She had talked herself into higher spirits. Her natural smile on her face, some of her trademarked bubbliness surging through her. She bounced on her toes feeling a bit more animated. "That's right! You feel _really_ good and now guess what?" She pointed at her reflection losing herself. "You are going to walk into this bar, and you are going to find yourself someone to talk to, and if they turn you down you'll find someone else and try again, right? Right!"

Pep talk wrapped right up, she turned to the entrance ready to walk inside like she owned the place. But then, the door popped open before she reached it. Two people stepped out, a man and a woman. They both looked at her, laughed, and then turned, walking down the street.

She turned back to the window she had been using as a mirror and that cold feeling of dread hit her as she was made aware of the fact that her little pep talk had been viewed by an audience. Miraculously, she held it together. Swallowed that scream that was pushing its way up her throat. Managed not to facepalm so hard she'd end up slapping five with her own brain.

She was actually rather calm, cool, and collected as she turned and sprinted down the street as fast as she could.

Luckily for Lena King's Row had quite a few bars along it so, she just ducked into another one at random and tried to pretend her little mishap never happened.

The bar she stepped into was dimly lit and rather full. Nice and warm in contrast to the cold streets she'd just been walking. She looked around the bar and her eyes took in a sight she would have thought to be impossible. It seemed everyone had paired up, no lonely souls sitting around for her to try and approach. Well, all accept for one.

There was an interesting woman sitting alone at the bar and, even from her spot in the doorway Lena could tell she was special. She just had that look about her. Her skin was a intriguing blend of lilac and lavender. Her hair, dark and, long pulled into a tight pony that flowed down past her lower back over the plump, generous curve of her impossibly full, Lena coughed, _rear_.

She was dressed casually tight fitting dark grey jeans and a purple tank top that showed off what looked to be part of a spider tattoo on her upper back. As Lena moved closer straightening out her own collar and trying to fix her wild hair. She was able to make out another tat on her right arm. It was a wild inked web with words stylized in a way that Lena could hardly make them out, but even if she could they looked foreign to her anyway.

It was only as Lena had almost made it to the counter that she realized she had no clue what to say. She was supposed to rehearse some lines in her head at some point but, that never happened. At this point she was too close to stand there and think it over and walking away would be equally as awkward. Biting the bullet was the only choice, she pulled the stool nearest the woman and took a seat beside her. Brilliant amber eyes were upon her instantly as she sat down, scrutinizing her. It took everything within Lena to not freeze up under such an intense gaze.

"Hello there," Lena opened up finding confidence when her voice didn't crack. "Name's Lena Oxton love, what's your name?" Great, how lame.

"Amélie Lacroix."

Lena's eyes widened a bit, as the woman spoke in her thick french accent. She hadn't been expecting to actually get a response, especially not in such a sultry tone. It was as though the two simple words were caressing her brain. Made hard to think of a follow up honestly.

"I'm 26 years old Amélie, how about you?" She followed up dumbly, expecting this conversation to come an abrupt end any time now.

"33"

Another unexpected response, another dumb look upon Lena's face. _Oh my days! Why oh why didn't I think of something to say?_

"Well I like my women older Amélie, more experience under the belt….amirite Amélie?" _Brain! Mouth! Body! What the fuck! Why!?_

Those amber eyes on her were instantly alit like a scorching inferno smoldering Lena's very soul with the simplest of gazes. By the looks of it, Lena wasn't right at all. The woman gave a small shake of her head picking up her glass of red liquid that Lena could only assume to be wine.

 _Fuck it. In for a penny in for a pound. If I make her laugh, I can recover._

So blindly forward she continued. "I also like my women thic-"

"Is this your attempt at courting?" Amélie cut her off again, voice velveted in that beautiful accent again. Lena could see a vein popping out in her head.

"Uh... y-yea. Yes."

Amélie was quiet again. Lena could see her let out a long breath, not quite a sigh, but something close. The quiet moment between them stretched long enough to get uncomfortable before Lena opened her mouth to speak before again being cut off.

"Silence." Amélie commanded closing her eyes. Lena's did as she was told her mouth shutting and she sat up straighter. "Not another word out of your young, untamed, uncouth mouth. If you wish simply to be an object of my primal urges, then say so."

"Uhh…" Lena droned loudly trying to parse what was said to her. _Wait what?_

"Perhaps," Amélie continued. "If I am bored enough – or through yet another glass of wine, I may ruminate over that offer. And if I should accept, you will not speak another word!" She fixed Lena with another piercing look that made the younger woman swallow loudly, paling. "You shall do as I say, as I compel you, when I compel you. If you submit completely, you may have fun. Resist, and you shall suffer." She turned towards Lena in her stool and Lena couldn't help but catch an eyeful of her chest when she did so. "If I am _clear_." Her gaze was forced back to Amélie's face. "Nod yes. If you are scared then turn your back to me beast, and begone. I haven't time for children and the lines they heard from the town crier."

 _She's so fucking hot_ Lena thought. Maybe she was degenerate, lowlife scum for this, but being dressed down so aggressively by this foreign beauty did things to her. She wanted to ask what this _suffering_ entailed because, no one had touched in 7 months and she was more than willing to suffer at the hands of Amélie. "You don't scare me." Was what she said instead settling more in her seat to indicate she was going nowhere.

So clearly pickup lines hadn't worked, or maybe they had? She was being given a chance, but Amélie also seemed at least mildly angry. Maybe it was her looks.

"Good." Amélie said taking another sip of her wine. "Drink with me."

It wasn't a request. Still Lena declined, making a face of disgust and shaking her head. "No!"

Amélie's face was blank at that. "Then leave."

Lena made another face at that, pouting. "But…why?"

There was another slow exhale of breath from Amélie as if explaining this was beneath her. "An older woman just asked you to drink with her. In case you are dense that means I am attracted to you, that I've taken an interest in you, Lena. By declining my offer," Amélie clears her throat "and doing so in such savage nature, you have disrespected me as well as this establishment. You haven't much choice. Partake in this basic human ritual or leave. It shan't harm you."

"Attracted…" It seemed to be the only word Lena caught, her voice cracking and raising in decibels as she said it. She looked around self-consciously wondering if anyone had heard her little outburst. She blushed noticing more than a few eyes on them now.

"Yes." Of course, her response would be so casual. Nothing ever seemed to bother Amélie.

"I wasn't trying to disrespect you." Lena explained brain finally catching up to a part of the statement that actually mattered. "This shithole bar? Maybe, but not you. It's just," she gestured towards the glass of red liquid before Amélie "Nasty, y'know?"

Amélie snorted the closest to unladylike Lena had seen her. "The recklessly daring flatterer is frightened by a bitter drink." She teased causing Lena to pout again looking away. "I'll admit it is cute." At that Lena sat up straighter, color flooding her cheeks, as she fought even harder to avoid eye contact. Amélie seemed to pick up on her bashfulness and leaned closer to her placing an elbow on a counter and propping her head up, her own cheeks reddened, from the wine Lena assumed. "Have I embarrassed you? Come, I though you said you didn't fear me. Come now, flatter me more with your sandpaper words – do not waste my attention."

Lena tried to twist her face up, wanting to look at least mildly offended but she couldn't do so convincingly so instead she stuck her tongue out at the woman. Amélie gave a slight roll of her amber eyes before facing forward again. "C'est mignon." She said speaking in French, a language Lena couldn't understand.

"I'm not afraid of a little drink." Lena said focusing on something she could combat. Amélie gave her a knowing smirk tilting her head back in her direction. She was taunting her with a simple look, it made Lena go read in the face. "Bartender!" She called, looking towards the bar at the barkeep who was wiping a glass pretending to not be listening in on their conversation, when she had his attention she spoke again. "I'll have…"

It was in this moment that Amélie chose to attack so to speak. Her hand reaching across the space between them and touching Lena's cheek before dragging her fingers up along her temple and into her short brown hair, turning Lena into putty. She shivered all but purring like a cat, ducking her head to draw out more contact. You could imagine her embarrassment when she remembered she was trying to make an order.

She squeaked like a moron. "Uh." Was all she could manage.

"You'll have what I'm having. It _is_ your first drink, is it not?" Amélie spoke up for _and_ to her, not even addressing the bartender who turned to prepare the ordered drink all the same. Lena was left feeling thoroughly embarrassed. _Great, ordered for like a child._

"No, not my first drink." She said after recovering, saddened when Amélie removed her fingers from her hair. The tingling sensation missed. "I've drank before, been drunk before. Just…didn't like it."

"Oh?" Amélie asked leaning forward onto her hands, elbows placed on the counter. "Then don't drink to get drunk. Simply have a glass. Surely you have that much self-control.?"

"My dad always said it was unladylike to place your elbows on the counter." Lena said as ways to get a little cheap revenge on the little jab from Amélie, though the smile on her face showed she was only teasing.

"Oh? And what would your father know about being a lady?" Ouch, burn. "Anyways, I am the lady of this dominion. I do as I please." As if to empathize this, Amélie leaned a bit more into her hands.

"If you are the lady," Lena started pausing to accept her drink when it arrived. "What does that make me?" She asked taking a sip from her glass and failing to hide the grimace on her face from the taste.

Amélie shrugged at that, she was watching Lena as she drank, her intense gaze once again making the woman squirm. "Something to shape." Came the response as Lena was braving another sip of wine. She gagged on her drink, hand coming over her face and noise stinging.

"You had to say that while I was drinking? Couldn't wait at all huh?" Lena asked scowling at the dark spots that were now on her shirt.

"Mon chéri, it was you who ask for clarification! I was merely providing it." She laughed, actually _laughed_! Before finishing her glass and leaning on her hands again.

Lena bit her bottom lip, wanting to furrow her brow at Amélie, but that sultry French was tickling her brain again. She stood slowly. "I uh, have to use the restroom." She excused herself moving to the restroom without waiting for a response from Amélie. Once there she looked herself in the mirror and tried to compose herself. Her nose still stung from the wine, but that would fade. She wanted to give herself another pep talk, but after what happened last time she figured she could skip it.

She moved from the mirror into an empty stall and parked herself there to do what people did in restrooms, sighing loudly and then, smiling rather widely. This was going well, very well. She could have never predicted this, she figured she'd get shot down a few times before going home but this…this was awesome. She didn't know if anything she had did had actually helped this night along more than it had hurt it. But Amélie seemed to enjoy her company, or maybe she was just the ugly girl the popular kids kept around to make themselves feel better.

Lena rolled her eyes down from the ceiling and looked at the door to her stall, there was a message written out with tallies scored below it. It read:

" _Be honest, how many of you have ever gone to the restroom just to wipe your ass, BE HONEST."_

There was a T char for yes and no, with multiple scratches under each.

It was juvenile, crass, and utterly unnecessary. Still, it made Lena laugh pretty damn hard. An unexpected boost to her spirits. She took out her keys and added her own answer to the tally before finishing up.

When she made it back to Amélie there was still a smile on her face as she sat down, forgetting herself a bit she picked up her glass and took a drink from it. That killed her smile rather quickly as her face twisted. "Bleh..."

"Welcome back." Amélie said before adding. "You certainly are very skittish."

"And you have the patience of a statue" Lena said grinning again. "Must be a bit of a dry spell… I can help you with that."

"Of that I am sure, and you will. In time."

"Oh la la." Lena was trying to play it smooth, raising her drink and sipping it again. Again the taste bugged her and she glared at the glass putting it down and pushing it away giving up on it. "I will be _compelled_ in time eh?" She teased recalling and earlier statement.

"No, you already are" She was corrected. "Or you wouldn't be here."

"Am I now?" Lena asked with a raised brow before snorting. "You have all the control, huh?"

"You are. And I do. Denying it would be stubborn and slightly shortsighted." She raised another glass that she must have ordered while Lena was in the restroom.

"So arrogant." Lena tsked jokingly, sliding her drink closer to Amélie who simply shrugged.

"Been called worse."

"Wasn't meant as an insult."

"I'm aware."

There was a breath of silence between them before Amélie looked at Lena's have finished wine.

"Not to your liking?" It was hardly a question.

Lena shook her head, forcing herself not to make another face.

"Well its good enough that you tried. I appreciate an open mind. I'm… _mildly_ impressed."

Lena snorted at the backhanded compliment before pushing her cup just a bit closer to Amélie. "I want you to drink from my cup." She said suddenly.

That was met with a raised brow. "Do you?"

Lena nodded smirking.

"Then serve it to me, to my lips."

That was easier than Lena had expected, and because of that she had to up the ante just a little bit. She raised the wine glass to her on lips and took a large amount between her cheeks. She leaned towards Amélie trying to offer it to her that way.

Amélie turned away instantly with a roll of her eyes. "Not like that."

Lena smiled as widely as she could with her mouthful. Extreme mirth expressed on her face. She tilted her head letting the liquid slosh around in her cheeks making a cute sound looking smug. There was a dribble of liquid going down her lip. She could feel it, she let it be.

"Swallow that." Amélie commanded. "And the put the _glass_ to my lips Mon chéri."

Lena realized now that she had just trapped herself with a mouthful of wine that she had to swallow. She does it and has to fight the urge to stick her tongue out in disgust. She wipes her lip before lifting her cup and doing as she's told. "Should be clearer, Amélie"

Amélie chuckles lightly at that "Perhaps."

She lets the glass sit against her lips, still directing the action. "Yes, like this. Excellent. Now. Delicately, lovingly share your drink with me, Lena."

Lena blushes at the word " _lovingly" but snorts to play it off._ She gently tips the glass into Amélie's lips watching as they part to drink in the liquid, her throat contracting as she swallows. Suddenly there are butterflies fluttering in Lena's belly.

"Very compliant of you." She said after swallowing herself.

Amélie pushed the glass away licking a bit of the liquid that had dribbled on her lips away. "Only because I want to be." She said before adding as almost an afterthought. "Many thanks."

Lena could barely hear her, she was to busy thinking about that tongue she had just seen run across those perfect lips. She was still starring at them, watching the liquid left over from the swipe of her tongue. She cheats a little closer, unconsciously almost trying to claim those lips for her own. Again Amélie leans away from her.

"is it a kiss you seek?" Amélie asked with raised brows.

Lena nods vigorously, running her tongue over her own lips now. "I was hoping you do to…I mean you do…right?"

"Maybe." Amélie said a smug little grin coming to those lips. "Beg for it."

"B-beg?" She balked, before placing a hand over her chest. "Lena Oxton does not beg!"

"Lena Oxton does if she wants a kiss."

"Lena Oxton could kiss anyone she wanted!"

"Then she should and leave Amélie Lacroix be."

Lena pouted again, giving up talking in third person. "You'd be lonely if I did." She tried persuading.

"I don't' mind. Better to have one who fits, then to desperately seek any who tries. If you wish for my lips, beg for them. Plead for the chance." Amélie started to lean closer to her. "Let the loneliness in your heart, and the desperation you felt for affection spill in your words. Yearn for me. Come under my heel." She leaned away from Lena now. "Or perhaps, seek that other pair of lips you can so easily attain."

Lena wanted to be mad that Amélie thought she was so pathetically lonely, so hopelessly desperate for attention that she couldn't get up and leave if she wanted…but she was right. Not only that but the way Amélie dressed her down again was so very undeniably hot. Still, she had her pride.

"I'm not so desperate or lonely!" She defended herself managing a dark look despite the fluttering still going on in her gut and the tingling between her legs that made her squirm just a bit. "But…I would very much like a kiss…" She sighs. "Please."

Amélie didn't seem satisfied. "Louder. More convincingly."

Lena found her face reddening at that commanding tone. "Please!" She raised her tone already feeling the eyes of the other patrons being drawn to them once again. "Let me kiss you."

Amélie leaned closer to her again. Speaking huskily. "But mon chéri, don't I have a name?"

It was becoming more and more clear what that sultry, accented tone did to Lena. She shivered as it tickled down her spine, face too red to be blamed on the wine it was starting to match in hue.

"Please Amélie, please let me kiss you."

Amélie places a hand upon her cheek and strokes it gently moving in closer still. She presses her nose to the short haired woman's temple her hand now sliding to Lena's other cheek. "Good, then parse my lips and do what you will." She leans back now, turning and pressing her back into the counter facing the entirety of the bar now relaxing her stance. Lena would have to stand now to kiss her and she did just that.

She moves over in front of Amélie on stiff legs, aware that they are still being watched but she doesn't care anymore. She leans forward placing her hands on the counter on either side of the woman, unable to reach her target with her lips because her lower belly is being met by Amélie knee. Eventually though, the woman below her stops teasing and spreads her legs just enough to let Lena slide between them trapping her there.

Finally, she claimes those lips that had been enticing her all-night long. She's admittedly a bit timid, her inexperience showing as she is overwhelmed by the sensations. The warmth from Amélie's core, the cheers around them, her vain attempts to keep up in the dance of lips.

Seeming to sense her hopelessly Amélie takes over, gripping her roughly by the cheek and pressing more firmly into the kiss. She forces Lena's mouth open and begins slickly kissing the inside of her mouth with her tongue. Dominantly yet still elegantly embracing the softness of her lips against Lena's, before separating and wiping her lips. Turning she went back to her glass of wine. "Interesting"

That left Lena standing there wondering if Amélie was trying to wipe away the taste and feel of her with that. She licked her own lips before sitting down, ignoring the drunken cheers still going on around them.

"Just interesting?" She asked when she found her voice.

"That's high praise." Amélie clarified. "I haven't had such an interesting kiss recently."

Lena's face darkened a bit. A foreign emotion flooding into her heart. It took her a moment to recognize it as jealousy. "You kiss a lot of people?"

"Over the span of my life, a few."

Lena made a sound of acknowledgement. "But…Lena Oxton was the best…yes?"

Amélie smiled faintly. "That remains to be seen. The true judge of a kisser isn't their first kiss, but the sum of how they kiss."

Lena smirks now. "Which means I get more?"

"You'll get what I give."

Lena gave a confident snort, showing she didn't buy into the authority that Amélie thought she had. Amélie picked up on that.

"So then, you'll be fine with nothing?"

Lena panicked. "No! I didn't say that!"

"Your reaction implied it."

"I was just laughing…at a joke…in my head."

Amélie rolled her eyes. "You don't have to lie to me. And you aren't much good at it either."

Lena made another face. "You're a difficult woman." She said this as though she were just realizing it.

"Indeed. But you enjoy a challenge."

Lena snorts again. "Maybe, maybe not."

"So mysterious." Amélie says dryly.

"Says the regal woman who was drinking alone at a bar."

Amélie smiled at that. "Touché mon chéri."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Couple days shy of it being a year since a story was posted to this account. Thank KitsuneMask if you find this story enjoyable, they are responsible.

As always reviews no matter how positive or negative are appreciated. Honestly, don't care if you are constructive, or just being an asshole I like em either way.


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